Criminal lawyer took the club’s shirt to the stand and stated that, without bets, “football does not exist” in Brazil
Criminal lawyer Antônio Carlos de Almeida Castro, known as , represented Cruzeiro Esporte Clube free of charge in a hearing at the STF (Supreme Federal Court) this Tuesday (12.Nov.2024) on the regulation of sports betting. Kakay, who is a fan of the Minas Gerais club, took a Cruzeiro shirt and showed it off during his speech on the stand.
In his speech, he highlighted “the importance of bets in football sponsorship, a sector of great economic importance”. According to the lawyer, banning advertising from betting houses and their sponsorships would be disastrous for clubs in Brazil, especially for “the small clubs in the interior of the North and Northeast”.
Kakay took Cruzeiro’s shirt to a public hearing on sports betting this Tuesday (12.nov)
“I will speak on behalf of football and my beloved Cruzeiro, bringing an approach that I consider important for your excellences”, he said. “We need to consider the Brazilian reality. […] Without this type of sponsorship, football simply does not exist”.
Kakay spoke on the 2nd day of the public hearings called by minister Luiz Fux, rapporteur of ADI (Direct Action of Unconstitutionality) 7,721. The action, filed by the CNC (National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism), asks the STF to declare the Bets Law unconstitutional ().
“It is essential to recognize the importance of football in Brazil. Even those who don’t like it need to admit its enormous economic relevance. The numbers are impressive. […] Without bets, Brazilian football cannot survive today. ‘Ah, but it already existed before’. Yes, but it was a completely different reality.”he added.
The CNC argues that, by promoting an increase in the practice of gambling, the modality has caused significant impacts in the economic, social and public health spheres, affecting, in a more pronounced way, the most vulnerable social classes.
In a note sent to Poder360the lawyer defended the need for a regulated environment to maintain the benefits of the national football betting market.
“Our speech, today, was precisely to demonstrate that the clubs support the regulations promoted by the Ministry of Finance and hope that the normative acts produced can have the desired effects, with the aim that companies that are outside the legal guidelines are completely excluded from the national market, including as a way of protecting consumers”he wrote.
WHAT BETS SAY
For ANJL (National Association of Games and Lotteries), a possible declaration of unconstitutionality of the laws that authorize betting ( and ) “could have disastrous effects for the country“, since, according to the association, “it will prevent the actions of responsible companies that are concerned about bettors and will leave the way free for the thousands of platforms that have harmfully affected society”.
“The sports betting and online gaming market hopes that common sense and prudence will prevail, considering the entire path of the legislative and regulatory process followed so far. Brazil cannot go back, under penalty of having yet another illegal betting market, without tax collection and job creation”, said ANJL in a note sent to Poder360.
The IBJR (Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming), which represents 75% of the online sports betting market in Brazil, fully defends the regulation of the sector, which comes into force on January 1, 2025, as the “best path to greater market transparency and protection for bettors“.
“The declaration of unconstitutionality would be a dangerous decision for the country. In this scenario, clandestine gambling would gain space to operate outside the law and supervision, putting the integrity of players at risk”, says the association in a note sent to the Poder360.
“Many of the measures provided for in the regulation have already been effectively applied in more mature markets, such as the United States, England and Australia, meeting legitimate demands for protection of vulnerable groups”he adds.
For IBJR, regulation is the “best way to separate the wheat from the chaff and preserve responsible, clean and sustainable entertainment, with a market made up of companies that operate within the rules, respect the law and are supervised by the Public Authorities”.
